Sound recording and reproducing means



Aug. 18, 1931. E. L. KENT 1,819,820

SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING MEANS Filed June 11, 1929 INVENTOR. Q EarZeL.Ken/t,

ATT NEYS Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED STATE-S.

12ml: 1.. mm, or cannon, mason:

SOUND RECORDING AND BEPBDDUCING mums Application filed June 11, 1928; Serial No. 870,126.

This'invention relates to improvements in sound recording and producing means, and has for its general object to provide a novel form of sound record and novel apparatus for using one or more of said records to produce a desired sound or combination of sounds. The invention is capable of producing practically any sound, but is particularly designed for producing musical m tones. Y

More articularly it, is an important object of tie invention "to; provide means for producing 'musica'l tones or other. sounds without accompanying noise due to operation of the mechanism constituting the invention.

Another important object of the invention is to provide means whereby the tones of a number of different musical instruments, or different sounds, may be produced simultaneously; also to provide means for quickly changing from one combination oftones to another combination of tones, and to provide for imparting a tremelo efiect to the tones. i

A further important object of the invention is to provide for either manual or automaticoperation of the mechanism.

With theadditional purpose of providing a mechanism of the character stated which is simple in construction, relatively cheap and easy to produce, which may be compact- 1y. assembled and which is thoroughly rehable and eflicient in use, and with various other purposes in view, -the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts .as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the ap nded claims.

In the drawings; w erein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of mechanism constitutin'gan operative embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of a fragment of one of the record disks, illustratin in an exagrated manner the moth of record- 00 mg sound thereom Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the electric lamp shields; and

Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the manner in which a perforated roll may be employed to operate the mechanism.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates, generally, a key board, B a set of tone stops, C a. set of combination tone stops, D, D a pair of the present tone records, E, E selenium or ot er photoelectric on cells, one associated with each tone record,

F an amplifier, and G a loud speaker.

Each key 10 of thekeyboard'A, and each of the stops B and C, is constructed in any suitable manner, not entering into the presout invention, to constitute a normally open electric switch which is closed when the key or the stop is depressed.

The present tone records Dpreferably are roduced in the form of thin disks of cellu- 7o, oid or other suitable material, and the tones are recorded thereon by opaque and transparent strips'll and 12, respectively, arranged on the disks in narrow, concentric bands transversely of the latter, the width or spacement of the strips of said bands determining the tones of the latter as will hereinafter become more fully apparent. I

The cell or cells E may be of any well known type capable of changing light waves or pulsations into electrical waves or pulsations, and likewise the amplifier F and the loud-speaker G may be of an suitable type.

The records D are adap to be rotated, at and to this end shafts .13 are provided on which said records may be interchangeably mounted. The shafts 13 may be journalled disk and dis osed, respectivelly, individual to said tone bands. Preferab y each 1am 16 is enclosed by a shield 17 provided wit a narrow light emittin slit 18 arranged to permit onl a narrowieam of light to be projected mm the lamp onto its related tone band.

The lamps 16 of each record disk are disposed to one side of said disk and the cell E of each disk is disposed to the other side thereof in a position to receive light rays passing from any one of said lamps through the transparent strips of its related tone band- Thus, with the record disks being rotated, it is apparent'that when any lamp 16 is lighted a series of light waves or pulsations will be projected upon the related cell E, the fre uency and the period of said pulsations epending, of course, upon the character of the opaque and transparent strips of the related tone band, and upon the rate of speed at which the record disk is rotated.

A source oi current such as an electric battery is indicated at 19. All like contacts, i. e.,all of the stationary or all of. the movable contacts of the switches (not shown) of the keys 10, are connected in series and with one pole of the source of current 19 b a conductor 20, while from the other switcii contact of each key 10 a se arate conductor 21 leads to one of the termmals of a related lamp 16 of each set of such lamps. The other terminals of each set of lamps 16 are connected in series, there being a separate conductor 22 for the series connected terminals of each set of lamps. One of these conductors 22 is connected to one of the switch contacts of one of the tone stops B, another is connected to the corresponding switch contact of another of the tone sto s B and so on, there being a tone sto B individual to each set of lamps 16. he other switch contacts ofthe tone stops B are connected in series and with the other pole of the source of current 19 by a conductor 23.

Corresponding switch contacts of the combination tone sto s C also are connected in series and with the last mentioned pole of the source of current 19 by the conductor 23. From the other switch contact of each combination tone stop C a separate conductor 24 leads to a set of series connected switch contacts 25.

Each switch contact 25 has a complemental contact 26, and from said contacts 26 separate conductors 27 lead to and are connected with the conductors 22, respectively.

The cells E are connected in multiple and with the amplifier F by conductors 28, said cells receiving current from the local'source of current of the amplifier when a switch 29 in one of the conductors 28 is closed.

In view of the foregoing, assuming the motor 14 to be in operation rotating the record disks D, the operation of the invention' as thus far described is apparent and as follows: I

If only a single tone is desired, or if a combination of tones, not provided for by the combination stops C, are desired, the proper stop or stops B is or ,are de ressed, thereby including one or more of t e conductors 22 in circuit with the conductor 23. If now a ke 10 is depressed a circuit will be complete from one pole of the source of current 19 through the conductor 20, the related conductor 21, the related lamp or lamps 16 of one or more sets of said lamps as t e case may be, the conductor or conductors 22, the closed switch or switches of the depressed stop or stops B, and the conductor 23 to the other pole of the source of.

current. Thus, the lamp or lam s related to the depressed key 10 will be il uminated and light rays therefrom will be projected in waves or pulsations, caused by the strips 11 and 12, and the rotation of the record disks, upon one or more of the cells E, the duration ofthe pulsations depending, of course, upon the length of time the key 10 is held de ressed.

The lig t pulsations received by the cell or cells E are changed by the latter into electrical pulsations, and these electrical pulsations are amplified by the amplifier F. after which they are passed through the loud speaker which produces the sound of the tone or tones ina manner which is well known and which in itself forms no part of the present invention.

Although it is possible as just explained to secure a combination of tones by manipulating the stops B, this is not desirable nor entirely practicable and for this reason the combination stops C and the switches 25 and 26 have'been provided. By engaging any desired combination of the contacts 25 and 26 and depressing one or more of the stops'C any desired combination of tones may readily and easily be obtained. Under such conditions the circuit then will be, proceeding for clearness in a direction opposite to the circuit previousl traced, from one pole of the battery 19 t rou h the conductor 23 to the closed switch 0 the depressed stop or stops C to the conductor or conductors 24, through the closed switch contacts 25 and 26, to t e conductors 27 of the closed switch contacts 26, to the lamps 16, to the conductors '21, through the closed contacts of the depressed key 10, and through the conductor 20 to the other pole of the battery. Since the switch contacts of the stops B are normally open the circuit will necessaril be as Just recited if the stops B are not epresse A rheostat 30 is provided forre ulatin the speed of the motor 14 to vary t e pitch designed to produce pulsations in the circuit 28 to give the tremelo to the tones produced. From the foregoing description it will be apparent that by properly spacing the strips 11 and 12 of bands on the record disks, and

by rotating the disks at a proper rate of speed, the music of practically any instru-' ment may be reproduced, and this being true, it follows that by providing a greater or lesser number of record disks band or orchestra music may be produced. In fact the apparatus constituting the invention is capable of producing any sound which is capable of being recorded in the manner stated. i

As an example of the flexibility of the apparatus, a radio receiving set H anda phonograph reproducer I may be included in circuit with the amplifier F through the conductors 28 and either may be used when no musician is present to manipulate the keys 10.

Furthermore, the apparatus may be designed to produce music by means of a perforated roll such as is used in a player piano. This may be accomplished by providing a plate 34 over which the perforated roll 35 may be caused to travel in any desired manner. The conductor 23 may be connected with this plate and a set of small spring contacts 36 'may be provided and mounted in any suitable manner so that the roll 35 travels between themand the plate 34, solid portions of the roll thus serving to break contact between said spring contacts and the plate, and the perforations in the roll allowing said contacts to engage the plate. Thus, by connecting the respective spring contacts 36 with the conductors 21 as indicated at 37, the same result will be had when the roll 35 is moved over the plate 34 as is had when the keys 10 are depressed, the roll merely taking the place of the keys 10 as is manifest.

If desired, in order to automatically change the stops, assuming all of the latter to be in circuit closing position, a second set of spring contacts 38 may be provided and connected, as indicated at 39, with the con-' ductors 27. Thus, by providing proper perforations in the roll 35 to allow the contacts 38 to engage the plate 34 the same result may be caused to be produced by the roll as is manually produced by finger manipulation of the stops B and C. The perforations for the contacts 38 necessarily will be of considerable length and in order to permit connecting webs to be provided at intervals across long perforations, the contacts 38 preferably will be made double, as shown, so that at least one of them will be in contact between one of said contacts and the plate.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the invention will be apparent. It is desired to point out, however, that various changes and desirable additions may be made in and to the struc- -ture shown. within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 1

I claim:

1 In combination with a movable member having a band composed of opaque and transparent portions, an electric lamp disposed to one side of said member, means disposed to the other side ofv said member in position to receive light-waves projected from said lamp through the transparent portions of said band,an'd to change said light waves into electrical waves, means for moving said member, means for flashing said lamps, means for changing said electrical waves into sound waves, and means for imparting a tremolo effect to said sound waves.

2. In combination with a movable member having a band composed of opaque and transparent portions, means for moving said member, an electric lamp disposed to one In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EARLE L. KENT. 

